The present disclosure relates to the field of handle sets for doors.
The term lockset is used to refer to the hardware and components for locking and/or latching doors. Handle sets refer to locksets having an elongated handle attached to at least one side of the door. Handle sets have been available for years in which an elongated handle has a button disposed on or adjacent the handle, which button can be operated to actuate a latch bolt. Such handle sets are particularly popular for use in front entry doors of residences.
In a typical front entry door handle set, the elongated handle is elongated, and mounts to the outer side 44 of the door via two spaced-apart holes. The handle itself typically remains stationary relative to the door. The button is typically positioned so as to be actuable by the user's thumb. The button interacts with the lockset portion of the handle set so as to withdraw the latch bolt when the button is pressed by the user. However, often such buttons can be difficult or inconvenient to actuate. Usually a knob is disposed on the indoor side of the door. Such a knob is typically configured to work in a traditional manner so as to withdraw the latch bolt when the knob is rotated.
Recently, locksets have been developed in which the latch bolt is actuated not only by rotation of one or both of a pair of traditional door knobs, but also upon pushing or pulling a knob. Such locksets have greatly increased versatility and ease of use for users. However, since handles such as those used in front entry door handle sets are typically mounted to the door via spaced apart holes, these handles typically are not rotatable, and are not amenable to advanced lockset designs.
A longstanding problem when replacing handle sets that include handles that are mounted to the door via spaced apart holes is that sometimes such holes are not spaced a correct standard distance from one another. Therefore a user may find it difficult to find a handle set that will fit into his door's existing holes. This is a cause of significant frustration among homeowners who would like to replace their existing handle sets.
Another consideration comes concerns reliability and smooth operation. Consumers reasonably expect handle sets and other locksets to withstand the rigors of repeated use over time while operating smoothly and minimizing mechanical noise.